The leader of the largest proven human trafficking ring in Canadian history and his family stood in a Hamilton courtroom and apologized to just about everyone possible — except to their victims.

“I promise that in the future such a thing won’t happen,” Ferenc Domotor, 49, said through an interpreter.

He was handed a nine-year sentence — the longest ever for a human trafficker — after pleading guilty last month. After credit for time served and his plea, he will serve an additional four and a half years in prison.

A landed immigrant, he will get early parole only to be deported.

His 21-year-old son, Ferenc Domotor Jr., was given 16 additional months in jail. He was just 18 at the time of his crimes, was considered third in command, and had been “groomed” by his father.

Domotor’s wife, Gyongyi Kolompar, 41, was released on time served after pleading guilty to lesser charges.

Whether they stay in Canada or are deported will be decided by immigration officials.

Sitting in court was Tamas Miko, recruited by the family from Hungary in the summer of 2009. He was threatened, forced to live without freedom in the basement of their lavish Ancaster home, worked in construction for almost no pay and was coerced to lie to immigration and Ontario Works.

“Of course it bothered me,” he said about the fact his captors didn’t acknowledge the harm they’d caused.

While he’s pleased the court case is over, Miko said he “doesn’t really think it’s over.”

He still worries about his own safety, and that of his family.

Domotor often sat shaking his head, sometimes turning to wink and smile at his two youngest daughters as Superior Court Justice Stephen Glithero recapped his family’s offences. At one point the married couple turned and smirked at each other, while the justice spoke of the victims being fed only once a day.

The crimes were committed with “more greed, more nastiness than required,” Glithero said, citing the lack of food and isolation from family.

Glithero said Canada has a long tradition of respecting human rights.

“When our values are abused flagrantly, as they were by these three individuals, we are offended.”

Nineteen victims came forward to police, eight human traffickers pleaded guilty and four other members of the organization pleaded guilty to related charges. The case marks Canada’s first “forced labour” and first international human trafficking convictions.

Hungarian human trafficking ring timeline:

Oct. 8, 2010 – After a nearly year-long investigation, the RCMP issue arrest warrants for an extended family of 10 from Hungary, who were living in Hamilton. Nine were wanted for human trafficking and one for theft. Police had 16 victims who came forward at that time – the number later grew to 19.

Aug. 25, 2011 – A 17-year-old , who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleads guilty to thefts and threats as part the ring. He had originally been charged in December 2010 under a false identity. He was deported immediately.

Jan. 10, 2012 – Lajos Domotor, 43, pleads guilty to conspiring to commit human trafficking, being part of a criminal organization and four counts of possession of stolen cheques from a related mailbox theft ring in London. He’s dying of stomach cancer and gets an additional 10½ more months in jail. He will be deported.

Feb. 8, 2012 – Gizella Kolompar, 43, pleads guilty to conspiring to commit human trafficking and participating in a criminal organization. Her husband is Lajos Domotor and her brother is Attila Kolompar. She was sentenced to two years in prison, on top of eight months spent in pretrial custody. She will be deported.

Feb. 16, 2012 – Ferenc Karadi, 47, pleads guilty to conspiring to commit human trafficking, being part of a criminal organization, coercing his “slaves” to lie to immigration officials and fraud. He was sentenced to six years. , which after credit for time served and pleading guilty sentence, works out to 25 more additional months in jail. He will be deported. His wife is Viktoria Nemes, and his daughter Zsanett Karadi also plead guilty that day to stealing $20 from a victim and was deported. He will be deported.

March 1, 2012 – Attila Kolompar, 37, pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit human trafficking, being part of a criminal organization, and welfare fraud. He was sentenced to 26 months on top of the more than 16 he spent in pretrial custody. He will be deported. He is an in-law to the Domotors and his sister is Gizella Kolompar.

Three remain in custody awaiting hearings. Two were among the original 10 charged and one was only charged recently. None can be named because of a publication ban.

Police are still searching for Gizella Domotor, 43, believed to be in Ontario. There is also an outstanding warrant for Ferenc Domotor’s elderly father, also named Ferenc Domotor, but he is believed to be very ill and living in Hungary.